Buchanan, Roskam oppose House-approved CHIP funding cuts

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Peter Roskam (R-IL) were two of 19 Republicans who on June 8 voted against a White House proposal to cut $7 billion in federal aid for the national Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Nevertheless, the U.S. House approved the bill, which has advanced to the U.S. Senate.

Reps. Roskam and Buchanan specifically opposed the CHIP cuts contained in the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, H.R. 3, which they said would jeopardize services for America’s low-income children.

“There are plenty of other places we should cut before we touch health care for children,” Rep. Buchanan said, noting that 6,000 kids in Florida’s Sarasota and Manatee counties depend on the program.

“This important program provides peace of mind to families that if their children get sick they will get the medical attention they need,” the congressman said.

Of the $7 billion in cuts to CHIP, $2 billion would come from the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, which provides states with monies if they experience an unexpected surge in enrollment due to natural disasters or other unexpected situations, according to a summary provided by Rep. Buchanan’s office.

The remaining $5 billion would come from unspent funds in CHIP, which Reps. Buchanan and Roskam argue should be applied to other children’s health programs in the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

“When I voted for the Championing Healthy Kids Act last year, which funded CHIP, I did so to ensure our children’s health would not be put in jeopardy. It’s important to preserve the bipartisan progress we made just a few short months ago,” said Rep. Roskam, referring to the November 2017 approval by Congress of a 10-year extension of CHIP.

“I believe we can come together to develop a package that does not jeopardize healthcare for our children,” Rep. Roskam added. “We need to put our children first and ensure that their well-being is prioritized above all else.”

In agreement with his colleague, Rep. Buchanan said “the White House proposal undermines a bipartisan CHIP agreement reached earlier this year and removes reassurances states need that funding will be available to keep kids covered.”

At the same time, Rep. Buchanan pointed out the tremendous success of CHIP, which he said serves 9 million children nationwide, 375,000 of them in his home state of Florida. He also cited a May 9 letter signed by more than 500 organizations opposing the CHIP funding cut.

“While White House officials insist that the CHIP cuts would not harm access to care for children and families, that is simply not the case,” according to the letter, which was signed by groups including the Child Welfare League, the NAACP, United Way, the National Education Association, the Children’s Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association, March of Dimes, Easter Seals, the National Alliance on Mental Health, and the American College of Physicians, among hundreds of other organizations.

Rep. Buchanan also suggested several areas that Congress should target to reduce federal spending, including cuts to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program that could save $1.1 trillion, and decreasing the federal workforce by 10 percent through attrition, saving $127 billion over 10 years.

Rep. Roskam said that while “negotiating a spending bill of this magnitude is an extensive process,” members of Congress “need to take caution that our children do not become collateral damage” as federal lawmakers work to fund a variety of other important programs.